St. Petersburg, 1/28 - 2/5

[groovlstk]

I've got an itchy foot again now that my relationship with a woman from  Dnepropetrovsk has run its course. I'm planning to head to SPb for a  week soon, if anyone else will be there I'd be happy to buy the first  round.

[Albert]

If you want top notch help with airport pickup and apartment rental, contact Irina in SPb.  e-mail  imb@rol.ru

Ask her about the place behind the Radison and Nevsky hotels on Nevsky.  It is near several moderate priced restaurants, near a western style supermarket, near a subway entrance, near a few internet cafes, and near two nice hotel lobbies which are good places for planning meeting points for ladies.  She has contacts for several apartments, but I liked this one.  Nothing fancy, but clean enough and great location a few blocks away from the more expensive center.

[Jack]

groovlstk, are you sure you want to go to St. Pete at this time? It's a really beautiful city with many beautiful women but I wouldn't say this is the best time of the year to go to StP. And forget Peterhoff.

Do you have several ladies already lined up to see?

And if Albert's references for flats, airport pick-up, interpreters, don't work out holler at me.

[groovlstk]

Thanks Albert, I'll give her a yell. I made an inquiry about this flat but haven't put down a downpayment, yet:

http://www.petersburg-lodging.com/apartment-6.htm

Jack, I realize I'm going to freeze my tush off, but the airfares are  great ($585 all taxes included), flats are much cheaper than in warm  weather, and there probably won't be any American knuckleheads, other  than myself, to compete with

[groovlstk]

Good lord, it's -25 today. I can deal with the cold, but the woman I'm with is having a tough time. So much for pansy Americans who can't get comfortable unless it's warm enough to grow palm trees

Can anyone recommend a few decent restaurants near the city center? I've been here 4 days and I still haven't had a decent meal, I can't believe it...

[catzenmouse]

Good lord, it's -25 today. I can deal with the cold, but the woman I'm with is having a tough time. So much for pansy Americans who can't get comfortable unless it's warm enough to grow palm trees

Can anyone recommend a few decent restaurants near the city center? I've been here 4 days and I still haven't had a decent meal, I can't believe it...

Hey Groovlstk,

  Only -25? When Elena talked to her mom recently it was -47. Have fun in St. Pete, we'll be looking forward to your observations upon your return.

Ken

[Albert]

My favorite restaurant in SPb would be Demidovs.  Spelling might be a little off.

It is on east side of Fontanka canal almost directly across (east) from the Summer Gardens and Summer Palace.

I always went in mid afternoon when virtually no one there.  That cuts down on smoke problems.  And, if you go at that time, ask to be seated in the farthest room from the door.  There is a large oval table there that seats about 12.  The furniture there is supposedly from one of the palaces.  Very nice with candles, etc.   The food is not terribly expensive and the atmosphere is so romantic that it will serve as foreplay for you and the gal.

[Bruce]

The only place I like in St. Petersburg is Lima.  They are all around.  What I like about them is they have a large selection of food.  The prices are relatively cheap.  There usually is a hip young crowd.  There is plenty of space for seating.  They usually have videos upstairs.  If you have problem with Russian they even have an English menu for you (then again you could just point ).

[525i]

Good lord, it's -25 today. I can deal with the cold, but the woman I'm with is having a tough time. So much for pansy Americans who can't get comfortable unless it's warm enough to grow palm trees

Can anyone recommend a few decent restaurants near the city center? I've been here 4 days and I still haven't had a decent meal, I can't believe it...

When I see American talking about temperature I usually think (s)he is taling in Fahrenheits. When you said -25, I couldn't believe it. Then I realised you actually said it in Celcius. Where were you in St.P because it was only -18C (the coldest) in one measuring place?

I live very close to St.P. We had quite cold week in January in this area. See temperature in St.P in January http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/ULLI/2006/1/1/MonthlyHistory.html

It's nothing compared to for example Krasnoyarsk http://www.wunderground.com/history/station/29570/2006/1/2/MonthlyHistory.html

What do you eat, if you have not found good food in there? Are you picky? :-)

[525i]

Good lord, it's -25 today. I can deal with the cold, but the woman I'm with is having a tough time. So much for pansy Americans who can't get comfortable unless it's warm enough to grow palm trees

Can anyone recommend a few decent restaurants near the city center? I've been here 4 days and I still haven't had a decent meal, I can't believe it...

Hey Groovlstk,

  Only -25? When Elena talked to her mom recently it was -47. Have fun in St. Pete, we'll be looking forward to your observations upon your return.

Ken
[/quote]
I believe that Elena's mother lives somewhere in Siberia, right? It has been very cold in there. We have had "the pleasure" to have a bit of their temps in here for one week. Temp dropped to -25C for a while.

I have never experienced colder than -30C. It is very rare if it happens in here. They have colder in the north of Finland. -42C was the coldest few weeks ago in one place in Lapland.

[RacerX]

Our favorite place turned out to be the restaurant located in the Pushka Inn, on the Moika, not too far from Nevsky.  I liked the charm of the Idiot restaurant near St. Isaccs.

Although it's in all the guide books I wouldn't recommend the Stroganoff on Nevsky.

[Photo Guy]

[size="3"][color="navy"]With your writing ability and your many trips and experiences, I expect a great book to be in the works. You could change the names to protect the innocent. Should have no problem finding a publisher. Good luck and don't freeze!  -Doug with palm trees[/color][/size][/b]

[catzenmouse]

[user=266]525i[/user] wrote:

I believe that Elena's mother lives somewhere in Siberia, right? It has been very cold in there. We have had "the pleasure" to have a bit of their temps in here for one week. Temp dropped to -25C for a while.

I have never experienced colder than -30C. It is very rare if it happens in here. They have colder in the north of Finland. -42C was the coldest few weeks ago in one place in Lapland.

Yes, she's in Omsk, just North-Northeast of Kazakstan. When I lived in Calgary we would get some -40s with the wind chill. Went out of the house once with wet hair and I actually broke my hair. Was a strange experience.

Ken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photo,

 Good idea on the book. I think Groov would write a great story.

[latstaley]

One of my lady friends lives in Karelia in the town of Petrozedvosk. She told me that it was -27 yesterday. I'm sure the weather in St. Pete's is probably not much better right now.

[groovlstk]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

I think my problem is that I'm looking on Nevsky and most of the cafes and restaurants cater to tourists, so no one cares about building a clientele. I've had bad Japanese food twice (but I know enough to stick with California rolls so at the very least I won't get sick), bad Russian food twice, and godawful pizza on a few occasions. I'm almost ready to duck into a Pizza Hut, at least I know it's mediocre and no worse!

I've never had this problem before in FSU countries so it's frustrating. I sense a little more lawlessness on the streets here than I did in Ukraine, so I'm a bit more cautious and not willing to venture too far off the main drag after dark.

[Michelangelo]

Did your pizza have corn on it like you reported in Ukraine?  Even in Spain, it did!  So I did go to pizza hut once, and the pizza was great...and the joint had set down seating and waiters and pasta and was super--making a good impression of "American" food with my girl.  So give it a shot, Groove....